Airline stocks shares fall on American’s so-so 1Q outlook

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Shares of airlines have fallen after American issued a lackluster first-quarter outlook and said profit could be below Wall Street expectations. American said Wednesday that it expects to earn between a penny and 5 cents per share for the quarter that just ended. That leaves room for American to fall short of analysts’ prediction that the airline would earn 5 cents per share. American indicates that demand for travel remains strong despite inflation and economic uncertainty, which is helping airlines charge higher fares. But they also face rising costs for labor and jet fuel.